Sunday 19th May, 2019

Accra, May 19, GNA - The Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has held an awards ceremony to reward
scientists and industry players who have contributed to Ghana’s scientific and
industrial development over the past 60 years.

The awards, which formed parts of activities
marking the 60th anniversary of the CSIR, was graced by Mr Yaw Osafo
Maafo, Senior Minister as the special guest of honour, and Professor Kwabena
Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The awards, dubbed: “MESTI/CSIR Scientific
and Life Time Recognition Awards”, was categorised into the Scientific
Excellence, Champions of Science and Research, Dedicated Service in Research
and Development, Industry Pillars as well as Directors on Retirement.

The theme for the anniversary celebrations
was “CSIR- 60 Years of Research with Impact for Sustainable Development”.

The award categories included Scientific
Excellence, Champions of Research, Industry Pillars of Science and Dedicated
Service in Research and Development.

Among the awardees was the 94 year-old Dr
Leticia Obeng, a Heroin scientist in Water and Environment, and the first
Research staff to be recruited by the CSIR, who was also a Foundation Lecturer
at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology as well as the first
Female President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Others included Professor Kwabena
Frimpong-Boateng, who received a citation for scientific excellence in
Medicine, Dr William Agble, a renowned Plant Breeder/Physical Sciences, and
Professor Felix Konotey Ahulu, for Medical Science.

There were also Professor E.H Amonoo-Neizer
and Mr Abe Incoom who were awarded as Champions of Science and Research; and Dr
A. B. Salifu, Professor E. Owusu Bennoah, and Professor Rose Emma
Entsua-Mensah, who were also awarded for dedicated Service in Research and
Development.

Mr Maafo commended the scientists for their
immense contributions towards the socio-economic development of the nation,
especially, for producing improved seedlings, like oil palm, maize, and
legumes, urging them to spread the distribution of their produce in all the
country for easy accessibility by farmers and industry players.

He announced that in line with the
government’s commitment towards science research, Cabinet had approved doubled
the fund towards scientific research to one percent. The current budget was
about 0.45 per cent.

He said “now that the fund for research has
been doubled, we want to see accelerated scientific research and results that
will be useful to industry and the socio-economic development of the country”.

He said for instance, aside research on crop
yield and disease resistance, the scientists ought to look at other dimensions
of research such as climate change, which called for a multi-dimensional
approach in research efforts.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng on his part also
acknowledged the distinguished scientists, stakeholders and former staff of
CSIR for their significant contribution to the growth of the country over the
past 60 years.

He said in the 21st century, it
was undeniable that science had provided, and continued to provide, important
answers to issues affecting our daily lives in a bid to make it better.

“If the President’s vision is to be
realized, then, there is the need for a multi-sector approach to ensure that
the various ministries were in tune with and complement each other.

“An economic transformational agenda will be
stillborn without education, science, industry and agriculture being in tune
with each other”, he said.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng said there was an
urgent need to coordinate and ensure that the relevant ministers were speaking
to each other and complementing each other to ensure the delivery of the
President’s vision of an industrialized nation and a country beyond aid.

Professor Victor Kwame Agyeman,
Director-General of CSIR, emphasized the need for the country to acknowledge
and support scientists for them to continue to research and come out with
innovations that would provide developmental solutions.

He suggested that Ghana should have a
“Science Day” to commemorate the work of all scientists in the Country